November 5, 2007

Chief Station Agent, Al McCracken, of the Niles Canyon Railway called with a huge news flash—due to popular demand, they have added additional cars to their Holiday Train of Lights and there are limited seats now available. They have tickets for the 4:30 p.m. train, which departs at the Sunol Depot, on December 11. New this year is a special, smaller, four car train which includes two enclosed coaches, an open car and the steam engine. The new train will depart the Niles Station on December1, 2, and 9 at 4:15 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. Al will be taking phone reservations only at 408-249-2953. Al also asked me to mention that any military vet or family of serviceman will get a free ride on the Holiday Train of Lights test run called “Bah Humbug Express” on November 20, space is limited to 100 passengers and reservations are requested by calling the number above.

Sunolians need not fret, our special “only Sunol residents” Holiday Train, which coincides with the annual tree lighting ceremony, will be held on December 1. The train departs the Sunol Depot at 4:30 p.m. then when we return we’ll all gather across the street at the Sunol Community Park for hot chocolate and coffee. Sunol 4-H, who has been is organizing the event for several years, is asking the community to bring a dessert or baked goods to share. Sunol resident only, please call Ario Ysit at 925-862-2251 for your Holiday Train of Lights tickets.
One could hardly miss the giant pieces of tree and limbs piled high in front of The Little Brown Church of Sunol last week. Church members were busy last Saturday cutting, splitting and stacking wood from the large, old oak tree that had to be removed from their courtyard. The church is offering wood to Sunol community members only in exchange for a donation. The courtyard, which seems larger now that the tree is gone, will soon be adorned with a beautiful 3 tiered fountain, which will occupy the very spot where the tree once stood.
I don’t care what they say about California not experiencing four distinct seasons because autumn has truly arrived, at least here in Sunol; especially at the Sunol Regional Park. A couple of weeks ago I took a short hike in the park up to Little Yosemite with friends, Cynthia and Ken Weingend of San Ramon and I couldn’t help but notice the burst of orange and yellow colored leaves on the trees. The river which runs through Little Yosemite was dry from the lack of adequate rainfall we have been experiencing and the weather was warm and sunny with a hint of coolness in the air under the canopy of trees.
Sunol Regional Park has several nature programs this month such as a hike about bugs called called, A Bug By Any Other Name on Sunday from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. and Acorn Soup, on November 17 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., learn how the local American Indians prepared the seed for cooking purposes. For more information call (925) 862-2601.
Sunol Glen School’s annual Ladies Night Out is Friday, November 16 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. in the auditorium. This is a wonderful opportunity for busy women to get a head start on some early holiday shopping in a relaxed atmosphere and visit with other busy women. Several vendors will be on hand selling everything from jewelry to home decorations and holiday ware. Appetizers and dessert will be served and raffle tickets will be sold for wonderful door prizes.